This invention relates to a protected card intermediate and method and, more particularly, to a product and process which results in an encased card--as for an I D card or the like.
Protected cards have been known for a considerable time. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,069,793, a protected card was disclosed 35 years ago that made use of a card adapted to receive inscriptions on the exposed top surface thereof, a thin flexible film of a translucent material underlying the card and dimensioned to correspond to the width of the card and about twice the length thereof with the card positioned to one side of the center line of the film, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer covering the entire surface of the film to adhere to back side of the card to the film on one side, and a removable protective backing covering the exposed portion of the pressure-sensitive adhesive coated film and releasably bonded thereto by the pressure-sensitive adhesive. Thus, the exposed film could be folded over to cover the top surface of the card.
More recently, this concept was carried forward in co-owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,982,894 and 4,986,868. In the '894 patent, the protected card is provided as part of a mailer, i.e., a stuffed, sealed envelope assembly. In the '868 patent, the method includes removing one half of a release liner web covering an adhesive-equipped film.
According to the instant invention, a protected card is provided in the form of an intermediate which includes a length of imprintable material having top and bottom surfaces and a generally rectangular diecut extending therethrough to define a card, a laminate adhesively secured to the bottom surface and extending beyond the diecut on all sides thereof. The laminate includes first and second layers adhesively united in superposed relation with the first layer being a transparent film positioned in contact with the bottom surface and the second layer being positioned remote from the bottom surface. The diecut extends through the first layer but not through the second layer. The diecut further includes a segment dividing the material into two equal portions with the segment terminating short of the first layer. A release material is interposed between the intermediate material and laminate on one of the two equal portions. The inventive method includes providing a series of the aforementioned laminates and a web or length of the imprintable material equipped with spaced areas of release material. The series of laminates and web are united with a laminate extending over and beyond a confronting release material area. Thereafter the diecutting is performed to give the generally rectangular card bisected as above.
Other objects and advantages of the invention can be seen in the ensuing specification.